


Remember Me

by WidowBite



Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Constant flashbacks, F/M, Original Character(s), POV Original Character, POV Steve Rogers, Post-Serum Steve Rogers, Pre-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-26
Updated: 2018-04-19
Packaged: 2018-10-11 00:43:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 22,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10451196
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WidowBite/pseuds/WidowBite
Summary: Captain Rogers and Black Widow have been given a mission to capture a notorious assassin known as Black Ice. Days after her capture, Black Ice's real identity has been revealed,  Steve makes it his mission to claim her innocence. Because he knew her. He had loved her decades ago. Unfortunately for him, she remembers nothing. Steve must now do all he can to make her remember him and her past.





	1. Chapter 1

**Washington DC (2013)**

"Rogers, I've lost sight of her." Black Widow breathed, two fingers pressing softly onto the earpiece as she continued to run down Virginia Avenue. She pulled out one of her Glock 26 handguns from its pocket attached to her belt, getting a tight grip on it as her eyes scanned over the area.

Blue eyes searched for the woman in all black. Natasha pictured her clearly in her mind. Long dark brown hair. Cream skin. Emerald eyes. A tight, black, half-face mask covered the woman's nose and mouth; concealing her identity. A black stealth uniform that was in a way similar to Natasha's.

"Just keeps your eyes open. We can't lose her again." Captain Rogers responded as he too, looked on. The woman was fast. And to think that she had been an equal match to Natasha was astonishing. The two women were so equally skilled that even Natasha was having a hard time.

S. H. I. E. L. D. had been after this woman, who up until the past week was no more than just a mystery. She has been on S. H. I. E. L. D. 's radar for decades now, responsible for the assassination of some of the most powerful people in the world; all of various backgrounds. Those of the Intelligence community called her Black Ice.

During that last couple of days, Black Ice had taken down two dozen specialized agents, including those from the S. T. R. I. K. E. team, killing quite a number of them. She had sent Rumlow to the hospital with critical wounds and targeted Director Fury several times.

Steve had been given the mission to take her down, along with Natasha's help. As the soldier cautiously walked down the quiet street, he held onto his vibranium shield, trying his best to avoid any suspicion and causing any sort of panic to those around the area. Eventually, Steve reached the end of the Avenue, his feet stopping abruptly as he scanned the area intently.

His eyes glanced behind every car, tree, and alley; looking up above onto the top of the buildings. There was no sign of her. The darkening sky was becoming a problem. Sure, Steve could see clearly, but so could she. That was the problem. It was even worse since she was quiet and snuck up without warning.

Suddenly, Steve could feel someone's arm wrapping itself around his neck. Their body pressed hard against his back. The quick impact forcing Captain to fall to his knees. Steve tried to grab hold of her, but she took hold of his forearm. Her thumb tightly pressed into the crevice of his forearm, squeezing the tendons.

Steve couldn't move it and dropped his shield from his free hand quickly, trying to grab her. The arm around his neck tightened, blocking his airways.

Tighter. Tighter.

The woman had Steve where she wanted him, making him gasp for air and desperately trying to get her off of him. She could've killed him there on the spot, a twist of the head or her kunai slicing his throat would've ended him. But, after all of that, her body protested against her own demands.

Why?

It wasn't until gunshots were fired and struck the woman on both of her shoulders, forcing her to loosen her grip on his neck and forearm, that Steve was able to break free. He flipped her forward and practically smashed her onto the road.

Black Ice let out a hissing sound.

Natasha was running towards them, trying to get to Steve as fast as she could before their attacker got away.

Steve tried pinning the woman down as she kicked him right on his stomach with her knee. The blow made Steve wince, but he held her down. Steve gazed at her face, gritting his teeth as the heels of her stiletto boots pressed into his thighs.

The woman then rammed her forehead against Steve's with great force, making him spring back slightly and barely loosening his grip, but just enough for her to wiggle herself free from him.

Quickly, Black Ice sprang onto her feet, turning at her heels and making a run for it. She had to retreat. The bullets in her shoulders were causing a lot of pain for her to continue and she was already losing so much blood.

Several more shots were fired, striking the woman on her legs, arms, and back. Black Widow had pounced onto Black Ice's back. She wobbled a bit, her body swaying to the side before regaining her balance. The dark haired woman tried prying Natasha off of her, but Natasha didn't dare to budge.

Natasha activated her Widow's Bite and pressed hard against the sides of Black Ice's neck with 30,000 volts of electricity stunning her entire body.

Black Ice let out a cry, her legs giving out slightly. Using the last bit of her strength, she had grabbed Black Widow by the armpits and threw her onto the hood of a parked vehicle before finally losing consciousness.

Steve was already by Natasha's side, grabbing hold of Black Ice before she fell. "Are you okay?" He asked Natasha.

Grunting, the red haired woman nodded her head, wincing as she got up and off of the car. "Y-yeah…"Natasha nodded her head, breathing slightly ragged. "Damn, that took much longer than planned. I shot her several times and she wouldn't fall." Natasha breathed, shaking her head. When was the last time she was this out of breath? She couldn't remember.

Steve just nodded, grunting quietly. The woman had cut him up pretty good during the beginning of the pursuit. He took the unconscious Black Ice into his arms as Natasha cuffed her wrists together.

"Let's go." He muttered.

* * *

 

It had been several days now since Steve and Natasha caught Black Ice. The woman was being treated at the nearby hospital for her wounds.

S. H. I. E L. D. wanted to keep her alive. They needed answers. Who was she really? Who was she working for? What were they after?

"This one sure was a chore to take out." Fury breathed out, looking at the woman from the glass wall. His arms were crossed over his chest as he gazed at her.

She had been strapped onto the hospital bed, still unconscious. Several IV's had been attached onto her body. One was for transferring blood that she had lost. Wires were attached to her chest with rubber discs, monitoring her heart and overall health.

The curtains from the window behind her bed were closed, concealing her from the outside.

"Sir, we have yet to find any further information about her besides what we already have in our records. "Agent Hill reported once she reached the director.

"What we are having trouble with is finding an answer as to how she was able to do all of this, especially on her own. The dates of each assassination don't fit her appearing age either."

"Are there any clues that might indicate whether she is working for someone?" Fury asked. It seemed impossible for this woman to be working solo. She had been so secretive until just recently. She was always disappearing after her latest kill, sending S.H.I.E.L.D. on a wild goose chase that took them no further than from where they started.

"No, Sir." Hill responded, looking over at the woman in the room. She had been heavily sedated once after Captain Rogers and Black Widow turned her in. As she laid there she looked…peaceful. At a glance she appeared to be like a normal twenty-something year old woman, rather than a notorious assassin who has been on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s radar for decades.

"She just looks like a normal girl." Maria stated.

"Looks can be very deceiving." Fury gazed on. "We cannot let our guard down anymore. We've seen what she was capable of and it's about time for her to answer for her crimes."

"Understood." Agent Hill then began to excuse herself.

"Where are Rogers and Romanov?" Fury asked as Maria turned her heels.

"They are back at headquarters, Sir. I believe they are finishing up their reports."

Fury just nodded, not breaking sight of the woman. Hill dismissed herself again, leaving the director alone with the woman.

The female's breathing was steady, her body unmoving as she rested on the hospital bed.

Fury headed for the door to the room, one of the officers guarding the door removed himself; letting Fury inside. The black clothed man closed the door behind him before making his way over to the woman; peacefully in her slumber.

"For someone who looks like just a pretty face, you sure don't act like it." Fury pulled a chair over and sat by the bed. He looked at the woman. The blanket covered most of her body, revealing her hospital gown.

"Whoever you're working for is probably out looking for you now, but don't get your hopes up. We won't let you escape this time." Fury reached over to a cart, containing ice water in a jar and a few disposable cups. He poured a bit into one of the cups and took a sip.

Fury remained with the woman for a while, growing silent as he simply listened to the heart monitor. It was the only thing making any sound in the room.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoy reading. Please feel free to leave a comment, question, or feedback.

It's been around two weeks since Black Ice's capture and she had finally been released from the hospital. S.H.I.E.L.D. had her transferred to one of their private hospital rooms located at the Triskelion. There, both security and doctors monitored her more efficiently.

Nick Fury walked down the hallway of the hospital wing, making his way towards the woman's room.

"Sir, she has just regained consciousness." The doctor caring for Black Ice reported as Fury made his way to the door.

"What's her status?" Fury asked, looking at the doctor.

"Stable, sir. And well…she seems to be cooperating with us. She isn't has hostile as we assumed she'd be."

"Is that so?" Fury responded, looking over at the doctor.

The doctor nodded his head. "We believe that she only becomes hostile when commanded or provoked. "He said.

Fury looked through the window, gazing inside the room. The woman was sitting upright; metal cuffs restrained her arms and legs to the bed. Her eyes slowly met with Fury's. Her green eyes narrowed upon seeing the dark skinned man that stood on the other side; a glare that could kill if it had been possible.

"Not hostile, huh?" Fury snorted. "She seems to not be very fond of me."

"Director Fury." Agent Hill called out, walking towards him, holding a file in her hands. "The DNA results have just been released, and the information regarding the woman's identity are an exact match to another file within the database. Although, the research team is taking another look at her DNA and blood samples. They believe they found a trace of the Super-Soldier Serum in her DNA. They should have the results in by tomorrow."

Fury gave a quick nod as he began to walk away. "I'll take a look a it in the morning. Just drop it off on my desk before heading out."

"Understood, Sir." Maria said, watching the Director take his leave. She glanced down at the file, opening it. After a moment, Maria took out her phone dialing a phone number.

"Hey, Natasha. I need you to drop by for a quick second."

* * *

 

Steve was in his apartment, sitting on his sofa in the living room. As his old records played in the background, Steve drew onto his sketchpad, trying to fight away his boredom. He wasn't thinking at all as he pencil moved along the white paper, absentmindedly-drawing swirls all over the page.

The clock on the wall opposite from him chimed. I was now ten o'clock at night. Steve took no mind to it, though. But, right after the last chime there was a knock at the door. Steve glanced up from his sketchbook, waiting for another knock. As soon as the unknown visitor knocked again Steve got up from the sofa, dropping his sketchbook in his place before making his way to the door. He peered into the peephole; an impatient red head was staring right up at him.

"What is it, Natasha?" Steve asked as he opened the door.

Natasha just shoved a large brown envelope onto his chest. "Hill told me to give this to you. She said you'd want to take a look at it." She said before turning around and walking away from Steve's front door.

"What is it?" Steve asked.

"Just open it." Natasha replied as she got to the stairs at the end of the hallway, not making eye contact.

Steve looked down at the envelop in his hands, glancing around the vacant hallway before closing the front door, locking it quickly. He headed back to the sofa, removing the sketchbook and placing it down on the coffee table near him as he sat back down.

The envelope had 'CLASSIFIED' stamped onto it. With a puzzled look on his face, Steve gently removed the seal and pulled out the file that was inside. Slowly, he opened the file; a photo stared back at him.

His eyes widened. It was the woman. Black Ice. Only, Steve knew this face.

"No…" His voice cracked slightly before he abruptly jumped onto his feet and ran to his room; the file still in his hand. Turning the lamp on, Steve knelt down and opened the single drawer from the nightstand by his bed, taking out all that lay inside.

He tried searching for the right file, looking inside each one. As his fingers lay onto the very last one, he opened it slowly. The same face stared back at him. The woman who tried to kill him over two weeks ago shared the same face as the one who he fell in love with 70 years ago.

How?

He stared at both files, the same name appeared on the information pages; Sophie Alexandria Barnes. Steve glanced back at the file he already had before. The word "MISSING" was stamped on top of the page.

"How could this be?" Steve muttered to himself as he sunk further onto the floor.

After he was defrosted and slowly tried to ease himself back into society, Steve collected a few files from S.H.I.E.L.D.. Those files contained information and status of his closest friends. Peggy, Howard, Bucky, and Sophie.

Peggy Carter was still alive. She was currently living in a retirement home not too far from where he lived. Howard Stark was dead. The report stated that he died in a car accident along with his wife. Bucky Barnes; missing in action. Steve knew the tragic fate of his childhood friend. He was there. He still blamed himself for his best friend's death. Confronting Bucky's sister, Sophie, was the hardest thing he ever had to do. Steve could remember her breaking down in front of him. It made his heart rip inside each time he replied the scene in his head.

The last file. Sophie Barnes. Steve had left the love of his life to mourn alone after he plummeted the Valkyrie into the artic shelf. He never even got the chance to tell Sophie that he loved her.

She was always there for him; even more so when Bucky wasn't able to. Steve got through most of his life because of them and their support. He survived because of the unconditional love and loyalty they had for him.

Letting out a deep sigh, Steve glanced at the older file. Sophie had been reported missing in 1947. The last person to see her was Peggy. It happened during a mid winter's night. Sophie and Peggy were at a diner where a friend named Angie worked at. Sophie and Peggy went their separate ways afterwards. That was the last time anyone saw the dark haired young woman.

Steve could never get the idea that someone had kidnapped her into his head. Sophie wasn't a weak woman either. She could take a grown man twice her size. She's done it countless times before.

Rage had swept over the blond male when he read the report for the first time. He wanted to know who had taken her. He wanted to know what they did to her; if they had killed her. He wanted answers that he knew he was never going to receive because it had happened so long ago, and there was no one around to bare witness and absolutely no trace of her or her kidnapper anywhere. He wanted to make those responsible pay, but couldn't.

But now, a new kind of rage formed into the very pits of his old soul. Who turned his best friend's sister into a killer?

Slowly, Steve got up from the floor, holding the files tightly in his hands as he sat down on his bed. So many emotions started rushing through his mind, through his body. Anger. Guilt. Regret. Denial. Bitterness. Relief. Ironically, a tiny bit of happiness as well. So many mixed feelings that made him feel bittersweet.

A part of him wished that Sophie lived a long, happy life. That she had found someone who could take care of her when he no longer could. And now, a part of him is happy that she is alive, despite the situation that she was now in.

Steve put his face into his hands, trying to keep himself from going ballistic and going back to headquarters. He didn't care if she tried to kill him again. He wanted to see her. He had to see her. He needed to make sure that she was real. Steve had to get her out of the mess she was forced into. But how? He didn't know.

His body began to tremble. Steve was losing the war against his emotions. His blood was boiling, yet he was trying really hard to keep his cool.

Steve got up from his bed, his fingers running frantically through his hair. Everything felt wrong. He was so angered that all he was able to do was pace around the room. Not a word escaped his lips, nor a grunt or a groan.

"Dammit." Steve muttered as he stopped pacing and leaned against the wall, facing the windows of his room. His mind was clouded with questions. Questions that he needed answered. Questions, that he was afraid of hearing the answers to.

Another thing that began to cross Steve's mind; how was he going to get through Fury? Steve knew Fury wasn't just going to let him waltz around to get to Sophie, knowing that she was being heavily guarded by security.

It was going to take a lot of persuasion. Persuasion that Steve doubted he'd be able to deliver. That, and the reality that Sophie was very much likely not going to listen to a word Steve told her.

Shaking his head, Steve made his way back to the bed, gathering everything that laid scattered. As he collected everything, he noticed a card peeking through the latest file Natasha had just given him. He pulled the card out and inspected it. It was a key. _Now why would Natasha give me a k-oh_. Steve was able to put the pieces together. It was a key to get into where ever Sophie was being held. As he placed the key safely into the file in order to not lose it, Steve also noticed a note inside the file, possibly telling him where exactly she was being held. 

Once he had put everything back into their files and into the drawer, Steve took his navy blue jacket, putting it on. He wasn't to be able to sleep that night; that he was sure. So instead, he decided to go out on a walk, try to cool off his head and mentally prepare him for what lay ahead.

As Steve walked along the sidewalk of the now quiet neighborhood, his mind began to wander off; back to a time where things were a little more okay. Back to when Bucky was still alive, and when he realized he had fallen in love with the girl who had given him so much love and support that he needed. 

The sound of a train screeching to a halt could be heard in the far off distance of his mind. He could feel the heartbeat of his smaller, former-self, beating fast as he tried to make it to the front of the train along with his best friend.

"B-Bucky!" Steve panted, trying to weave himself through the crowd.

* * *

 

**Brooklyn, NY (1942)**

"Come on!" Bucky grabbed hold onto Steve's arm, pulling him closer to him. The two ran towards the front, trying to dodge those in their way.

"Bucky, slow down!" Steve called out. "She's not going anywhere."

" I know that!" Bucky called back, glancing down at his smaller friend with a smile.

From a short distance, Steve could see the familiar bright red hair bow that held the gorgeous dark curled locks in their place. His heart skipped a beat.

"Sophie! Over here!" Bucky called out, waving his free arm so she could spot them. Both of them started to call out her name, waving their arms. The girl soon turned her head towards their direction; her green eyes making contact with them.


	3. Chapter 3

"Bucky! Steve!" Sophie called out to the boys, waving back as she ran to them, trying her best not to hit anyone with her suitcase.

Bucky reached Sophie first, immediately wrapping his arms around her. "Hey there, squirt." He said to her, happiness could be heard in his voice.

Sophie's lips spread into a smile upon hearing her brother's voice and feeling the warmth of family and home seep life back into her lonely soul. It was only a few months, but it felt like years since Sophie was back home.

"Hey Bucky." She finally responded, hugging her brother tightly with her free arm. After a brief second, Sophie's eyes locked to the smaller frame that stood behind her brother, a genuine smile planted on the slender male's face.

"Hey Sophie." Steve finally blurted out.

"Steve." Sophie felt her cheeks beginning to hurt, her endless smiling being the one to blame. Bucky had let go of his sister, taking her baggage before Sophie's arms then engulfed the small frame that stood in front of her.

Automatically, Steve wrapped his own arms around her. His heart was beating fast, making him blush faintly from embarrassment. He was secretly praying for her to not take notice to it, to the reason his heart began to race was that his crush on her had not faded even while she had been away- as he hoped it would.

It wasn't that he didn't like having a crush on Sophie. It was because to him, it seemed pointless. He did not felt worthy of being anything more than just a friend to her. And what girl wanted to be with a sickly, scrawny weakling like him? Sophie deserved so much more than what he would be able to offer. At least, that's what Steve thought.

Sophie slowly pulled away from their embrace, smiling down at Steve. "You've been behaving?" She asked, teasingly.

"Never." Steve teased and laughed, with a shake of his head. His racing heartbeat was slowly returning to its normal rhythm.

"I didn't think so." Sophie shook her head with disappointment, though her smile had let Steve know that he had been forgiven.

Bucky wrapped his arm around his sister's shoulder, holding onto the suitcase tightly in his other hand. "Alright, let's get on going. I was thinking maybe we should stop by somewhere and get something to eat after dropping your stuff at home. I already told mom and dad I was going to treat you to something."

"Really? Aww. That's actually very sweet." Sophie said, both of her hands pressed over her chest and against the gold heart-locket necklace she always wore, trying look seem touched by her brother's random act of kindness. A form of mockery could be seen upon on her face.

"What? I take you out every now and then. "Bucky scoffed, trying to defend himself. Sophie laughed. They would always play each other around like this; it's what siblings did.

Steve just smiled as the two siblings rambled on. He was happy that Sophie was back home. But, he knew she wouldn't be for long, and the reason to the why made him feel uneasy.

 

* * *

 

"What? You're being shipped off to Italy in a month?" Bucky, who was sitting right beside his sister, gave her an expression of real horror, his mouth gaping open.

The three were eating dinner at a local diner. It was their favorite spot for when they just wanted to hang out and get a bite to eat.

"B-but, didn't you say you weren't even sure you were going?" Steve asked. His eyes widened and shared the same expression as Bucky as he looked right at his female friend.

"The war is getting pretty bad out there. They're trying to get anyone who is available to join and help out. I have to go." Sophie said before taking a bite of her cheeseburger. She could feel the gaze of both males on her.

Steve clenched his teeth together, looking down at his food. Both of his friends were now going to head off to the warzone and here he'll be at home. He wanted to join them. He couldn't just sit at home and do nothing; not when both of his friends were going to risk their lives.

"I'm not going to be fighting in the front lines, I am going to be treating the wounded. Of course, I'm going to be going as a nurse. I haven't graduated yet so I can't really get in the action with the surgeons." She shrugged her shoulders.

This was something really important to her. She wanted to reach her dream, to become something more than what society had planned for her- and to break gender norms. Sophie had spent countless sleepless, stressful nights studying, learning. She had to take advantage of every opportunity, even if it meant going to the war. Not only did she want to make her family and friends proud, she wanted to make herself proud.

"But it's dangerous, sis. You can get hurt out there, or worse, Germany might decide to drop a bomb on you." Bucky, looked right at his sister. His voice grew with worry. He was happy with what his sister had accomplished so far, with what she wanted to become and do with her life, but he wanted her to stay home. The reason why Bucky himself was going was so Sophie and Steve didn't have to. He was going to risk his own life to protect them.

"It doesn't matter. I'm still going. "Sophie shook her head at him. She was determined to go and help. They needed her. "Everything is going to be alright. I'll be fine." A forced smile planted her lips as she looked at her brother.

After a brief moment, Sophie's gaze met Steve's. She bit her lip. He looked back at her with an uneasy expression. Of course he was worried about her, too. No, she didn't want to leave him alone, either. Who knew what would happen to him, as stubborn and hardheaded as he was, always getting himself into trouble.

The three then continued to eat their food in silence. The diner was starting to empty as well, making the atmosphere much more quiet.

"Alright you two, how about we go for a quick dance somewhere." Bucky said, his cheerful tone breaking the tension.

"Uh, sure." Sophie nodded her head and shrugged a shoulder, looking over at Steve. "How about it, Stevie?"

"Uh…well," Steve scratched the back of his head. "You two go on without me." He was a terrible dancer; they all knew that.

"Come one, Steve. Please?" Sophie begged, giving him her adorable puppy-eyes with pouting red lips.

Steve blushed, trying to move a few locks of his blond hair from his face. "Alright, alright. I'll go." He said, finally giving Sophie a smile.

"Yes!" Bucky and Sophie cheered. Sophie giggled and smiled brightly at Steve, her green eyes sparkling.

Steve could feel his heart racing again. He didn't want to let her go off to the war without him. He didn't want either of them to leave him behind, to just sit around and do nothing. He wanted to protect them, too.

After the trio paid for their meals, they left the diner and went off to one of Bucky's favorite dancing spots.

 

* * *

 

The music was loud, and rightly so. Everyone was dancing his or her heart out on the dance floor as the band played lively music.

Bucky was already on the dance floor with a gorgeous blonde who was all smiles and giggles as he spun her around effortlessly, their movements matching with the music.

Sophie danced with a tall, muscular build that was trying a little too hard to impress the dark haired dame. Steve, who was the only one sitting at the bar, just looking at her and feeling secretly jealous of the man who had effortlessly swept her off her feet. It wasn't often, but there were times when Steve wished he looked like those type of men, all, strong, handsome, and healthy.

Was it selfish for him to think that way? Probably, but why wouldn't he think that way? Everyone had those kinds of thoughts- to wish they were someone better.

Steve could hear Sophie's laughter amongst the music. It was a melody itself. He could see her long locks bouncing wildly as she was twirled around the dance floor, her red dress flowing elegantly around her. She was like a dream, an angel who lit up amongst the crowd.

Sophie glanced over at Steve as she moved with her dance partner. She could see him just looking around, his posture a bit awkward and slumped over. Sophie's smile turned into a small frown and she stopped dancing. "Hey, what's wrong?" The tall man whom she had been dancing with asked.

"I um, I'm going to go have a seat for a bit, excuse me." She hurriedly parted from the man without saying another word and made her way to the bar. She could hear him shout something back to her, but she paid no mind to it.

"Steve." She reached over to the skinny male, sitting on the stool next to him.

Steve looked over at her. "What's wrong? Did you get tired?" He asked.

Sophie shook her head. "No." She wrapped an arm around his shoulder, pulling him closer to her. "I'm sorry I left you here alone."

"It's okay.' Steve said, giving her a shrug and a half smile. "You know I'm not a good dancer anyway. I rather just watch."

Sophie just looked at him. "Do you want to dance with me?" She asked. "We'll wait for them to play something slow."

"N-no, it's okay. Really. I don't want to step on your feet or anything." Steve shook his head.

"Please?" Sophie begged, pouting. "Just one dance."

And as if on cue, the band soon then switched to a slower song. Letting out a sigh, Steve slowly got off of his stool, placing himself in front of her. He extended a hand towards her, giving her a sweet smile. "All right, then. I guess I could share one dance with a beautiful dame like you." He tried to sound cool and charming, but it only made him blush and feel embarrassed.

Sophie laughed and smiled brightly, taking his warm, slender hand and hopped off of the stool. "You really need to learn how to talk to women, Stevie." She told him.

Steve playfully narrowed his eyes at her, leading her back to the dance floor. Steve glanced around, wondering where Bucky had gone. _Probably stepped out with the blonde he was dancing with._

The two moved to the far back corner, trying to get a little more room from the couples that were slowly moving along with the music. "Here should be good." Sophie said, pulling Steve closer to her. Steve's eyes widened, feeling her body pressed against his.

Sophie could feel Steve heart racing against her, making her own pick up the pace and eventually matching his. She looked down at the gorgeous petite male. His bright blue eyes locked gazes with hers, showing curiosity and a hint of shyness. Sophie could feel her cheeks getting warm as he felt Steve's slender arm wrap itself around her waist. _What is this?_ She thought to herself, suddenly feeling nervous. There had to be something in the air.

"W-wait…" Sophie pulled away from Steve and bent down, taking off her heels. She walked over to the wall and placed them down before making her way back to Steve now barefoot. "There, better." She smiled brightly. She was still around two inches taller than Steve, but this way it would be easier for the two.

"Now I'm really afraid to step on your feet." Steve chuckled.

"Don't worry about it, Steve. I'm a lot tougher than I look." Sophie said as the two pressed themselves together took each others hand, Steve's arm still around her waist and Sophie other hand on his shoulder. Slowly, they began to move with the music, with Sophie taking the lead.

"Hey, don't look down, look at me. "Sophie said, trying to avert Steve's gaze. "It's okay if you step on me. Just look at me."

Steve did as she said. Their faces were barely an inch apart as they slowly danced. The smell of Sophie's soft, floral perfume filled Steve's nostrils, making him slightly dizzy. The softness of her skin as she gently pressed her cheek against the side of his face as they danced made him melt into his shoes.

No, this was no longer just a silly childhood crush. This had to be something more. Steve knew it was, but would he ever have the guts to tell her? Would she really want to be with a guy like him?

"See, this isn't so bad." Sophie mumbled softly as they continued their slow dance. The band had already transitioned to another slow song. "You just need to have more confidence in yourself, Steve."

"Yeah…" Steve tightened his arm around Sophie's slim waist, feeling himself gluing onto her His other hand still held hers.

After a moment, the two had stopped dancing, despite the music still ongoing. "Steve? What's wrong?" Sophie asked, pulling away from him just a little, trying to get a better look at his face.

"It's nothing." Steve shook his head. His heart was aching. He wanted to tell her how he felt, but why was he so afraid? Was he afraid of rejection? It's not like he has never been rejected before. "Just feeling a little dizzy."

Sophie raised an eyebrow. She knew he was lying. He was a horrible liar. "Alright, let's stop for tonight." She smiled before looking around, trying to spot her brother.

"Ah, Bucky is waiting for us! Come one." Bucky was sitting down at the bar, having a drink while he waited for them. Sophie walked over to the wall where she left her shoes and put them back on.

"Let's go." Grabbing onto Steve's hand, Sophie headed back over to the bar, reaching her brother.

"There you two are. I've been looking everywhere for you." Bucky said, clearing lying. Steve and Sophie just looked at each other before rolling their eyes, which resulted in laughter.

Bucky glanced at the two of them, a look of suspicion on his face. "Okay. It's starting to get late. Let's head on home." The tall male got off of the stool and wrapped an arm around both Steve and Sophie's shoulders as the three made their way out of the club.

The sky was blackened by the time the three headed home. Ironically, there were no taxis driving by and if they were then they had already been occupied. They had no other choice but to walk home.

Sophie slipped off her heels again, her feet finally caving in and began to hurt. She held them both in one hand and continued on barefoot.

The streets were still filled with people. The nightlife had barely just begun. Signs were illuminated with bright colored lights, beckoning curious passerby to take a step inside its doors.

The tree continued to walk in silence with Bucky leading the way. Steve and Sophie followed behind him.

"You okay?" Steve asked Sophie. His hands were both shoved into the pockets of his pants, mainly out of habit. His hair was already hanging over his face, making him look a bit more daring among the streetlights.

Sophie looked over at him. "Mhm." She nodded her head. 'I'm fine, just tired. It's been a long day. I can't wait to crawl into bed."

"Hey Rogers, why don't you spend the night with us." Bucky finally spoke up. "We'll have a sleepover. It's been a while since you crashed at our place"

Sophie's eyes widened and smile formed up her lips. "Yeah! You should spend the night. It'll be fun. "She gave Steve a gleaming smile. Even in the dim lights, Steve could see her gorgeous face light up with excitement.

Steve let out a chuckle. Both siblings looked at him, waiting for an answer. "Okay, why not. I'll spend the night."

Bucky gave him a smile and a quick wink. Yeah, he knew that the blond male had a crush on his sister. Bucky wasn't against it, he was actually pretty encouraging about it.

Steve looked away quickly from Bucky's gaze, blushing and feeling embarrassed that he was crushing on his best friend's sister.

Sophie just looked at both males, feeling left out of their silent conversation. She let out a yawn, trying to cover her mouth with her free hand. "Sleepy?" Steve asked her.

Sophie gave him a nod, smiling just a little. "Yeah."

"It's been a long day, sis. Mom's probably going to be mad you stayed out so long after your ride back." Bucky turned to his sister, wrapping an arm around her, pulling her close to him.

"It's okay." Sophie mumbled. "She'll understand."

Steve, Bucky, and Sophie continued to make their way home, the streets growing quieter after every block they past. It was the end of one long day, soon to become the beginning of the next. Time was starting to tick. The time the three had together was growing much narrow and Steve was not ready to part ways with him.

He was going to give it another go. He was going to try to enlist for the fourth time. No matter what the cost, Steve was going to war. The country needed him. His friends needed him.


	4. Chapter 4

It's been about a week since Sophie's return, and already she was busy on her feet. She had been going to a local hospital for training. Going for eight to twelve hours, depending on what they were being trained on that day. Since she was to major in surgical operations at Yale, Trauma Surgery to be more specific, Sophie had to get even more training from surgical assistants. Her training was vital with helping those soldiers that returned to the base badly wounded.

During this time, Steve and Bucky hardly got so see Sophie, and when they did see her, she was already too tired to hang out with them.

On that Sunday though, Sophie was able to get the day off. She hung out with Steve and her family all throughout the day; going to church in the morning and getting a bite to eat at a restaurant in town.

Afterwards, Mr. and Mrs. Barnes headed home and Bucky had some important matters to attend to in regards to him heading off to war in just two days. It was just Steve and Sophie who continued to wander around town.

Carrying a bouquet of flowers, the two made their way to the cemetery. Steve wanted to go see his parents. The two quietly made their way past gravestones and those mourning their loss and paying their respects to the departed.

Sophie glanced over at Steve. His expression was clam and composed, but his eyes contained sadness and loneliness.

"You okay, Steve?" Sophie asked. She knew how much he missed his mother, and even though he never got to see his father once, it was obvious that Steve missed him too.

Steve just gave her a quick nod. "Yeah, I'm fine." He stated.

The two made their way to two gravestones. The names of Steve parents engraved onto each stone.

"I never got to meet my dad. But mom would always tell me what a wonderful man and husband he was. Strong, brave, kind. 'He was a great man', she would always say to me." Steve knelt down in front of his father's grave, gently laying the bouquet in his hands against the gravestone.

"I would always wish that I'd become a great man like him."

Sophie looked down at the flowers in her hand before kneeling down beside Steve.

"Your mom would always tell me how much you reminded her of your dad. She could see everything that she loved about her husband grow with you and she would tell me what a great man you would become someday." Sophie gave the male a soft smile.

"And she was right you know. Despite you being so stubborn, you really are strong and kind. We need more men like you, Steve. Those who are truly brave to take on what ever challenge that is thrust upon them. You yourself are a wonderful person, Steve. You must not let your weaknesses get a hold of your strengths." Sophie gently laid the flowers on the soft green grass against Steve's mother's grave.

"I know that they are both very proud of you. Anyone who had a son like you would be."

Steve tried to absorb Sophie's words. Was she right? Was he really what his parents and Sophie that he was? Was he really a good person? A great man?

"I'm going to enlist again." Steve said after letting out a soft sigh and pondering in his thoughts, making the girl look up at him.

"Steve, you've tried three times already and been rejected. It's not going to make a difference on how many more times you try to enlist." Sophie told him sadly. He was always so determined. Was that what made Steve so strong? His determination? All this talk about him being so great and yet Sophie couldn't bear to let the boy go off to war?

Steve just shook his head. "I don't care. I'm going to try again."

Sophie looked at the gravestone in front of her. Is this something Sarah would've wanted from her child? Her only son? Sophie and Bucky both did their best to keep Steve out of harms way. She wasn't going to be able to persuade him to just stay safe at home; he was too determined. She knew that very well. All she could really do was stand beside him and support him.

Letting out a soft sigh of her own, Sophie slowly stood up, looking down at Steve. She patted her floral cream-colored dress and adjusted the red bow that held her hair.

"Come on Rogers. Let's go get some ice cream." She extended her hand out to him.

Steve took hold of her hand, gripping onto it tightly as she pulled him up to his feet. Steve dusted off his black dress pants and tried to place a few loose hair stands from his face back to their place.

"Do you really believe what my mom told you?"

Sophie gave him a nod without any hesitation. "Of course I do, Steve. Everyday, I see it myself."

Steve gave one last glance over to where his parents lay.

"Steve?"

The male grew quiet and several minutes had passed before he turned his gaze to the girl in front of him.

"Then you have to let me do this, Sophie. Tomorrow. I'm going to go try again. I'll keep trying until they let me in."

Green eyes looked on, staring at the blue ones. Sophie took a step closer to Steve and placed a hand a both sides of his face, her face just inches from his. "Steve. Why do you really want to go off to war?"

Steve's cheeks warmed at Sophie's touch. "You know why. All those men… all those men that had to go. They are all risking their lives for this country, sacrificing their own futures for freedom. There is no reason why I should stay here at home acting like nothing is going on. Especially since Bucky is going to be leaving as well. Even the more reason for me to go."

Sophie removed her hands from his cheeks. "So, you're not trying to prove anything?" Sophie sometimes thought part of the reason Steve was so keen on fighting the war was because his father, Joseph, served in the First World War. She thought maybe Steve was trying to follow his father's footsteps.

"No." The male responded.

Sophie stared at Steve, trying to read him. Honestly, she wasn't convinced that there wasn't an ulterior motive for his choices. Any other man would've killed to be in Steve's shoes. Why was he so persistent?

"Alright." Taking Steve's hand, Sophie pulled him closer to her. "Then I'll do all that I can to support your decision." She gave him a kind smile, making Steve's blue eyes grow bright.

"Thank you, Sophie. Come on. Let's go get that ice cream." He said with confidence radiating from his voice as he began to walk with Sophie, still holding onto her hand.

 _So, you're not trying to prove anything?_ Sophie's words lingered in Steve's mind. Was he trying to prove something? No. He just wanted to do what was right and serve his country. Also…there was someone who he desperately wanted to protect and she herself was going to leave him soon.

* * *

The two had exited the gates of the cemetery, making their way along the sidewalk. The sky was slowly beginning to darken, but the soft, cool breeze was nice and there were a lot of people mingling in the streets.

"You're going to be leaving in three weeks." Steve mumbled. The two continued to walk down a few more blocks; heading towards the ice cream shop nearby.

"Yeah." Sophie mumbled back.

"Are you nervous?" Steve questioned, looking up at her.

Sophie nodded her head. She wasn't going to lie. She was nervous. "I'm a bit terrified, actually."

Sophie looked over at Steve. "It's okay. I'll be fine. Once I've completed my training I'll be much more confident…" _No. No I won't be. What we've been dealing is nothing compared to what I will be dealing within a few weeks._ She wasn't going to let herself give up, though. She had to pull through. It was her job to help those in need, to heal those that bleed.

Steve let out an inaudible sigh, looking down at the paved sidewalk as they continued to walk. He ran his fingers through his hair before glancing over at Sophie. His feelings still lingered in his heart. Seeing the girl he had deepening feelings for was going off somewhere dangerous. He didn't question her abilities, though. Steve knew how bright and brave she was, which were just two of the many reasons he truly admired her.

The two eventually stopped in front of a bright, multicolored building, connected to a strip of multiple local stores. A bright, white sign with _Bernie's Homemade Ice Cream_ written on it in bright red colors attracted those passing by.

Steve made his way over to the closed door, opening it and letting allowing Sophie to walk in first. Sophie smiled softly and thanked him as she made her way inside. The smell of different flavored ice cream filled the shop. The two made their way towards the line of people waited to be attended.

While in line, Sophie saw a flyer attached to a billboard on a wall. Big black letters were printed across the page: Stark Expo _World Exposition of Tomorrow_. Sophie took a closer look at the flyer. She heard of this event before, a few days ago actually. It was while she was doing her training at the hospital. A few of the nurses were talking about it, gushing over this mystery man named Howards Stark who was supposed to make a grand appearance that day.

At first, Sophie took no interest at all the commotion her peers were causing, but the flyer in front of her did seem to spark her curiosity.

"Hey Steve," Sophie turned her body towards him as they stood side by side in line.

"Yeah?" Steve looked at Sophie. The line was slowly progressing forward. Poor old man Bernie was busy that day.

"Would you like to go with me tomorrow night to the Stark Expo?" Sophie asked as she pointed to the flyer stapled onto the bulletin board.

Steve took a step closer, looking at the flyer himself. The description typed on the paper made this Expo seem a little too over the top, very much likely to lure people to go to this thing. But, it was about technological advancement, which did interest Steve a bit.

"Uh, sure. If you want to." Steve let his shoulders shrug.

Sophie happily clapped her hands; her expression resembled that of an excited young girl. "Then it's date!" She exclaimed, making a few heads turn to their direction. Steve's cheeks grew red at the sudden wave of attention he and Sophie got from the stares.

"A-a date?" He stuttered, his body turning to jelly at the words. _With me?_ It was obvious he'd never been asked out before. Sure, he himself tried to ask several girls out on a date, whether it was just to go get some coffee or ice cream even, but even so the poor boy was rejected.

Sophie nodded her head eagerly. "Yeah. It'll be fun! Maybe Bucky might even want to come along as well. We could make it into a double date. It'll be much more fun that way. What do you say?"

A date. A date with Sophie. Steve couldn't get a grip on what was to come. Was he really going to have a date with her? Was it even a real date, or were they just going to go as friends? Why would she want to go on a date with him though? There were plenty of attractive men still around who she'd look better off with.

Even so, Steve could not turn this opportunity down. If this really were a real date, then he'd want to make the best of it. If not, he'd still be happy to spend time with the girl he was falling for.

"Alright then. It's a date." Steve beamed, a strange wave of confidence flowed with his tone. His response made Sophie smile. She was excited, and also, somewhat nervous? There it was again. The same butterfly feeling in her stomach that she felt just a week ago when they danced at the club. _There it is again. What is this?_

Sophie desperately tried to brush the alien feeling away. She didn't want to let those emotions ruin her evening with Steve and their friendship in general.

Several more minutes had past until the two finally got to the ice cream display. The display held ice cream of various colors and flavors.

"Steve! Sophie!" Old man Bernie gleamed as he saw the two, walking over to them from the other side of the counter. Steve and Sophie both acknowledged the familiar owner, starting a light conversation while he prepared their ice cream.

"I see. Three more weeks and you're off. Must be nerve-wracking. "Bernie said as he handed Sophie her ice cream.

"Y-yeah. I'm a bit nervous, but it's something that I have to do." Sophie took out her wallet from her purse.

"Ah! Sophie, I'll pay." Steve quickly tried to take out his own wallet from his back pocket.

"It's alright Steve. I got it covered today. Save your money for tomorrow." Sophie gave Steve a quick wink before handing Bernie the money after Steve had received his ice cream.

"Well, good luck to you, Sophie. Hope you'll drop by before you leave." Bernie gave Sophie her change, to which she disposed of in the 'tip' jar that rested by the register.

"I'll be sure to do that." Sophie had responded before taking a lick of her double chocolate scoop ice cream.

"Oh, and Steve," Bernie turned his attention to the blonde male.

Steve looked over to the man that called to him, giving him his undivided attention. "Yes, sir."

"Don't give up on your dreams, boy. A bright young man like you still has a lot to hope for. Whenever you sense an opportunity, don't be afraid to take it. Take it, run with it, and never turn back. Got it, son?"

"Yes, sir. " Steve smiled, nodding his head.

"Alright you two. Take care, and I'll be seeing you again soon." Bernie said as Steve and Sophie made their way towards the door. The two said their goodbyes and left the shop; their sweet, cold treats in hand.

The sky was slowly beginning to darken as the two continued their way on the sidewalk. The sun was hiding behind a big fluffy white cloud, rays of light illuminating through the gaps and adding more beauty to the orange-pink sky.

People were wandering about, enjoying the warm weather. A group of young boys were playing baseball on the street; dodging honking cars that drove passed them.

Steve and Sophie both took a good look at the view as they made their way to a nearby bench. They sat down, arms touching just slightly, and continued to feast on their cold desserts.

"Steve?" Sophie's voice made Steve gaze shift from the multicolored sky, to her.

"Are you really sure about going at it again?" Sophie asked, not moving her eyes from the fluffy white clouds.

Steve had then glanced down at his ice cream, a bit of melting vanilla streamed onto his hand. Yet again, she decided to have the same conversation from earlier with him.

"Yeah. Tomorrow I'm going to give it another go. "

"Can you promise me something though?" Steve's head snapped back over to Sophie as she now looked over to him.

"After your next try, if you don't make it in, can you give up on enlisting?" Sophie now looked down at her ice cream; it too was already melting over her hand. She took a napkin and wiped away the melting cool chocolate.

Sophie could feel her eyes watering a little. She didn't want Steve to go. It was already bad enough that her brother was leaving, but Sophie wanted Steve to stay safe. That was the whole reason why she and Bucky were going, so Steve didn't have to.

She already spent countless nights worrying about Bucky and praying that he would come home alive and with only minor injuries at most. If he were to get badly wounded, she wanted to be the one to treat him.

"I know it's very selfish of me to ask you that, it's just I don't want anything bad to happen to you. I'm already worried sick for Bucky. I don't know if my heart will be able to take it if you were to go as well."

Steve bit his lip and swallowed. He had to go, but he didn't want Sophie to feel worried for him. There isn't any guarantee that he'd make it back alive, same going for Bucky. He could feel guilt rising in his heart. He didn't want Sophie to feel this way. All he wanted was her support.

"You know I have to do this, Sophie." Steve took a hold of her hand with his sticky one. "I don't want you to worry about me. I'll be fine. I want this war to end just as much as you do. I want Bucky to come home safe. That's why I have to go. So the three of us can come home and live on."

"You'll be killing people." Sophie muttered. Sophie knew very well that Steve was very against killing anyone, even at war. He didn't want to take another person's life away; it felt wrong to him.

"I know." Steve squeezed her hand, suppressing a sigh. He did not want to kill anyone. Taking the life away from another was wrong, no matter what the person had done or whose side they were on.

If only there was some way he could end the war sooner. There had to be some way.

"But, I promise this will be the last time. I've been lying on the enlistment forms recently and I'm sure they'll find out eventually." Steve let go of Sophie's hand and finished the rest of his ice cream.

"Okay." Sophie had then finished her ice cream as well and the two spend the rest of the evening looking up at the darkening sky above them.

The headlights illuminated the night sky, guiding the two over to the Barnes home. It was only a few blocks away from Steve's house, which he stilled lived at despite him being completely alone there.

"Well, see you tomorrow then." Sophie said as she pulled out her keys from her purse. The two stood by the front door of her home.

"Yup." Steve smiled, his excitement growing inside.

Who knew what would lie in store for them tomorrow and what a change of events would set off their future. They could only hope that what ever it would be, wouldn't tear them apart, but bring them closer.

Sophie bit her lip lightly, looking at Steve. Her heart began to race as her body suddenly began to move automatically. Her slender hands once again pressed against the sides of Steve's face, making him frozen on the spot. Soft, cherry colored lips suddenly pressed against the softness of Steve's cheek and a gentle kiss had been placed.

Slowly, Sophie's lips parted from Steve's reddened cheek. He had held his breath during those three seconds and he slowly exhaled when Sophie was then standing in front of him. He noted a slight bit of pink in her cheeks and seeing her flushed made him even more so. How could she have the power to do this to him?

"G-goodnight, Steve." Sophie stuttered, looking down at the keys in her hand before looking back up to him.

"N-night, Sophie." Steve replied.

The two stared at each over for a few seconds before Steve's body began to move, pulling him away from the girl. Steve began to walk down the block, glancing back to see Sophie waving to him and he waved back to her.

After watching his silhouette vanish from view, Sophie unlocked the front door of her home and stepped inside. Letting out a shaky breath, Sophie's thoughts clouded her mind as the butterflies in her stomach returned. Yeah, she was falling for Steve. There was no more denying it. The realization made her excited, yet nervous. Only tomorrow knew what lay ahead for the two.

* * *

Steve was seated between two men as roll call was taken for each man to stand in the formed line; waiting for evaluation from one of the doctors in the enlistment office. The man that stood behind the podium continued on the roll call.

"O'Connell, Michael. Kaminsky, Henry." Those whose names were called stood up from their chairs and made their way to the line.

The morning after, Steve decided to give it another go at enlisting in the war; heading to the nearest enlistment office, obviously one he hadn't gone to yet. Steve was as nervous as he was excited. There was still so much hope in him that he would finally be accepted this time. What made this time different from the others? Nothing. But, who knew, he had to try his luck.

"Boy, lot of guys getting killed over there." Steve spoke to the man beside him, both holding onto a newspaper wide open in front of them. It truly was getting bad out there, from what her read. But in despite, Steve still pressed on with his decision to go.

"Rogers, Steven." His name was finally called.

"It kind of makes you think twice about enlisting, huh?" The man that still sat in his seat replied to the small male.

"Nope." Steve dropped his newspaper on the cool chair and made his way to the front of the line.

"Rogers." The man behind the podium took out Steve's health file, skimming through it.

"What did your father die of?" The doctor now looked at Steve's family record, both parents of his parents deceased.

"Mustard gas." Steve replied. "He was in the 107 infantry. I was hoping I could be assigned-" The man spoke before Steve could finish.

"Your mother?" The man's voice boomed over his.

"She was a nurse in a TB ward. Got hit. Couldn't shake it."

The man then took a glance at the summary of Steve's health issues. Asthma, Scarlet Fever, Rheumatic Fever, Sinusitis…the list went on and on. The doctor probably wondered how on earth Steve was still even alive.

"Sorry, son." He finally looked over at Steve. With just those two words, Steve knew he had been rejected from moving forward with the evaluation.

"Look, just give me a chance." The blond male pleaded.

"You'd be ineligible on your asthma alone."

"Is there anything you can do?" Steve asked, still pressing on.

"I'm doing it. I'm saving your life. " Was the man's final words before stamping 4F on Steve's form. Once again, Steve had been rejected, making this the forth time now. He had already made his promise to Sophie that if he would be rejected; he's give up on the idea of going. It was obviously a long shot, but Steve had not given up hope that he could be accepted.

After leaving the enlistment office with his enlistment form burning a hole in his coat pocket, Steve made his way aimlessly about town. He had a couple of hours to kill before meeting up with Sophie later on that evening for their date.

His heart began to race just thinking about it, wondering if he could call it an actual date like Sophie said, or if it was just a hangout between friends. The touch of Sophie's soft lips from the kiss still lingered against Steve's reddening cheek. She never kissed him on the cheek before. Usually, she would go for his forehead.

Absentmindedly, Steve made his way to a local theater, deciding to watch a quick flick to calm his racing heart and distract his mind for a while.

* * *

' _War continues to ravage Europe. But help is on the way. Every able-bodied young man is lining up to serve his country. Even little Timmy is doing his part collecting scrap metal. Nice work, Timmy!'_ The advertisement dragged on before the showing. It did a pretty big impact to the audience, including Steve. It was obvious those around him had loved ones that were currently serving the war. Even one woman looked on with a tearful expression. Everyone was silently giving his or her respects, until an impatient young man seated in the row in front of Steve began to raise his voice.

"Who care?" The man started. "Play the movie already!"

"Hey, you wanna show some respect?" Steve whispered to the man as others looked over at their direction.

The man brushed Steve off with a 'huh' before the advertisement continued on playing.

' _Meanwhile, overseas, our brave boys are showing the Axis powers that the price of freedom is never too high.'_

"Let's go! Get on with it!" The man was now drawing the audience with impatience at their disrespectful remarks. "Hey, just start the cartoon!"

"Hey, you wanna shut up?" Steve himself grew tired with the rowdiness, getting very irritated.

The man then slowly stood up and turned to face Steve, towering over him with an intimidating aura. Their body was tensed, ready to attack.

This made Steve cringe and push himself back into his seat. Fear suddenly engulfing him as he looked on at the menacing man now pissed off.

 _'Together with the Allied forces, we'll face any threat, no matter the size,'_ was heard in the background.

It wasn't until after the showing, that that man, now seen as a bully to Steve's eyes, caught up to him and dragged him into an ally. Steve tried to break himself free, throwing punches at the bully that caused absolutely no affect. The bully pushed Steve to a corner and gave him a blow to the face, forcing Steve to collide with a trashcan behind him.

Steve scrambled to get himself up to his feet. The bully looked down at him with amusement before giving Steve another punch and knocking him yet another punch and sending him back to the trashcan. Quickly, Steve had taken a hold of a trashcan lid and held it up in front of him as a shield. The bully just took a hold of it and threw it off to the side before giving Steve a third blow to the face, sending him right to the corner.

As Steve tried to steady himself up, the bully chuckled slightly. "You just don't know when to give up, do you?"

Steve tried to put on a fighting stance, wobbling a bit. "I could do this all day." He rasped before taking his chance on landing a punch, which his bully blocked effortlessly before giving Steve a final blow, knocking him down to the floor completely.

Steve could feel his ears ringing and his face protesting at the pain from the punches. He wasn't going to make it though this, getting himself all bloody and dirty without even being able to land a single punch to his oppressor. He felt pathetic. It wasn't until he heard a familiar voice behind him that he knew he might actually make it out of this ally alive.

"Hey! Pick on someone your own size." Bucky's voice boomed as he took a hold of his friend's bully, pushing him away. Bucky made a few strides forward as the man tried to take a wham at him, dodging it before giving them on of his own punches that forced them to turn their body upon impact. Once their back was turned, Bucky gave them a kick to the ass, sending the bully fleeing from the ally.

Before Bucky turned around, Steve tried picking himself up, holding onto his knees and trying to catch his breath.

Bucky made his way over to the small male. "Sometimes, I think you liked getting punched." He mocked.

"I had him on the ropes. "Steve defended. Of course his words spoke louder than his own actions as he tried dusting himself off.

As Bucky looked over at Steve, he noticed something lying on the ground. He bent down and picked it up, immediately realizing what it was.

"How many times is this?" He asked as he opened the folded paper, not surprised with what he had found. He took a look at it and noticed the address on the form.

"You're from Paramus now?" Bucky asked, not amused. "You know it's illegal to lie on the enlistment form. And seriously, Jersey? "

After Steve fixed himself up and rubbed off some blood from his nose, he took notice of Bucky's attire.

"You get your orders?"

Bucky took a breath, avoiding eye contact with Steve for a split second. "The 107th. " He then announced. "Sergeant James Barnes, shipping out for England for thing tomorrow." Bucky hadn't completely grasped the fact that he was going to be leaving, the next day. He felt everything was going to fast, and he really didn't want to go. But, he had to keep the troublemaker that stood in front of him from doing anything stupid.

Steve gave a slight nod. Resentment was filling him up inside. "I should be going."

Bucky just looked at his friend. He knew how much Steve wanted to go, and really he didn't want to make things harder for his friend.

"Come on, man. "Bucky pulled Steve close to him, giving his friend a smile. "My last night! I got to get you cleaned up. I can't have you walking around with my sister looking like that!" Bucky teased, leading Steve as they made their way out of the ally.

"Oh, yeah. It would just ruin your reputation, wouldn't it Barnes. "Steve snorted. "Got to keep the family name golden."

"You bet I do. "Bucky laughed. "I would never hear the end of it, really."

The two men continued on their way down the street. In just a few hours, their double date would begin.


	5. Chapter 5

"There we go!" Sophie secured the last bobby pin into her hair, completing her recently done Victory Rolls hairstyle. She took hold of a can of hairspray that rested on her vanity table and sprayed all over her hair, letting her hairdo set.

"And just one more thing…" Sophie reached over for her ever so handy red bow and pinned it onto her hair, resting right on the back of her head and holding the tight curls together. She gently patted the two rolls of hair that perched on top of her head, one of them being slightly bigger than the other.

"There. That should just about do it." Sophie took a long look at herself in the mirror. Hair was done as well as her make-up. Her usual cherry red lips were now in a softer pink color with a touch of eyeliner, a bit of mascara, and some blush that colored her cheeks.

"I hope this isn't over doing it though." The female continued to speak out loud to herself, biting her lip as her fingers traced the heart pendant necklace. Her navy blue dress pressed tightly around her waist and flowed around her legs like a blossoming flower.

"Sophie, sweetie! The boys are here!" Sophie's mother called out to her from the bottom of the stairs.

Bucky and Steve had just arrived back from Steve's place. Steve had to freshen himself up from the incident that had happened just earlier. He didn't want to worry Sophie about it, and Bucky also promised to not mention it to her either.

"Coming!" Sophie called back, gathering her things and putting them into her purse. At the door, a pair of red heels awaited her. Sophie quickly placed her feet into in the shoes and opened the door, turning off the lights before making her way into the hallway.

Steve was waiting for Sophie at the foot of the stairs. Bucky had stepped over to the family room to make a quick call to his date, telling her to ready herself.

"Stevie!" The male heard the female call out to him as she made her way down the stairs. Steve glanced up at her and exposed a gentle smile upon his slender face.

Sophie made her way down the stairs. A soft, slender hand grazed lightly against the rail as she took each step down.

Steve could only stare at her in awe. To him, Sophie was the most angelic being he could ever lay his eyes on. Even when she was doing something so simple and otherwise not mind-blowing, Steve never seemed to lose admiration and awe for her.

Once Sophie was at the foot of the stairs, her arms wrapped themselves around Steve's petite figure, pulling him gently close to her.

"Ready for our date?" She asked with a wink.

This made Steve blush, but this time he did not falter. "Yup!" He said with confidence and enthusiasm in his voice. Apart from past times, this time Steve did not flinch, or look completely flustered. His voice did not stutter nor did he advert his gaze. His confidence was growing, even if it was just a little. Even if he himself did not notice it, Sophie surely did.

"Alright you two, you can stare at each other later. But right now, we have to go pick Bonnie up from her place." Bucky's voice filled the room, making the other two blush for being caught.

Steve took hold of Sophie's hand, and the two followed Bucky to the front door, exiting the Barnes' home.

* * *

Fireworks lit up the sky as the four made their way around the Expo. Various buildings circled around the campus. A golden globe rested towards the center with flags circling around it, along with passing trains from above the spectators gave off a vibe of the futuristic world that lay ahead. There was a pretty big crowd of people that night, which meant the ads were successful in reeling people in. Steve and Sophie walked together, side-by-side, as Bucky and his date, Bonnie held hands. This made Steve glance over at Sophie, who was oblivious to his gaze, as she looked over at her surroundings, in awe. Biting his lip, Steve's hand slowly traveled over to hers, his fingers barely tracing her skin. Despite him barely touching her, Sophie turned her head to him.

"Ah, sorry." Steve mumbled, embarrassed that he had been caught in the act.

Sophie just smiled and laced her fingers with his. "You don't have to be so hesitant, Stevie. We're on a date. Remember? You can hold my hand if you want to."

"Right. Date." Steve nodded, still trying to process that single word into his brain. Why was it so hard?

The four were heading straight to a great, illuminated building that stood gloriously in front of them. Bucky made his way to the door first, opening it for the other three. Bonnie and Sophie stepped inside first, Sophie's hand letting go of Steve's as she stepped inside. Bucky glanced over at Steve, giving him a quick wink.

"Just relax, man. It's not like this is some sort of test. I'm right here with you. And you know sis better than any other guy besides me. She's not going to judge you. " With a pat on the back, Bucky gently pushed Steve into the building.

_Welcome to the Modern Marvels Pavilion and the World of Tomorrow. A greater world. A better world._

Inside, there were rockets hanging from the ceilings, automobiles being held on display, as well as superhero-like mannequins inside of clear capsules. The ceiling had stars, planets as well as other astrological components that gave it a space-like atmosphere. It was all what anyone would expect from the future. All about space and technological advances.

The four wove themselves in between the crowds. Not too far ahead of them, there was a slight bit of commotion going on. Sophie and Bonnie were walking a little ahead of the boys, trying to get an earful of what some girls were fussing about. Once Bonnie realized what was about to go on, she excitedly glanced over at Sophie.

"Oh my God! It's starting!" The girl exclaimed, taking hold of Bucky's hand and led him towards the emerging crowd.

Bucky quickly glanced back at Steve, a bright smile upon his face as his date took hold of him. He loved it when girls acted excited around him.

As the two walked ahead, Sophie waited for Steve, who took hold of her hand once again and slowly made their way after Bucky and Bonnie.

 _"Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Howard Stark!"_ announced one of the showgirls that were on stage.

Steve and Sophie stood amongst the crowd, both trying to get a good view of the man that emerged onto the stage, greeting those who applauded.

The girl who had just spoken on the microphone made her way to the dark haired man, who had pulled her closer to him for a quick kiss that sent the crowd cheering. The man named Howard then took the microphone from the girl's hand before wiping is lips with a handkerchief. That was pulled out from one of his pockets.

Steve and Sophie looked at each other. Sophie rolled her eyes and shook her head slightly. She didn't know the guy, but it was obvious to her that Mr. Stark was a womanizer. She decided to take a mental note to stay away from him if they were to somehow cross paths.

"Ladies and Gentleman," Howard began to speak. "What if I told you that in just a few short years, your automobile won't even have to touch the ground at all?"

Just as Howard began his demonstration, the four girls who were on stage with him removed the tires from the vehicle.

"With Stark Gravitic Reversion Technology Steve you'll be able to do just that." Howard then moved his body towards a control box placed beside him and, turned on the contraption and slowly lifted a switch, causing the vehicle to levitate.

Steve and Sophie both tried to stretch their bodies, trying to get a better view.

"Holy cow." Bucky mumbled, clearly impressed with the sight. Sophie's eyes widened with awe. She was impressed, that was for sure.

After a few seconds of being airborne, the bottom of the vehicle began to spark, signaling a malfunction, and plummeted back onto the ground, causing a few gasps to be heard amongst the crowd.

"I did say a few years, didn't I?" Howard said, trying to redeem himself, which led the crowd into applause.

Steve's attention went from the stage, glancing around behind him until he spotted a poster of Uncle Sam, pointing at him. The poster read _I want You for the US Army. Enlist Now_ with the word 'Recruiting' _written above the poster._ Steve bit his lip. Uncle Sam was tempting him. Yet, he couldn't enlist again. He had promised Sophie he was going to give up on the idea. Plus, he had already tried to enlist many times before.

Still, that nagging feeling deep inside him began to pull him towards what he truly wanted to do, even if he had to betray Sophie. Steve left his friends behind, heading over to the recruiting center.

"Hey Steve, what do you say we treat these girls-" Bucky began as he turned around to where Steve supposedly was. Sophie hadn't even noticed that Steve left her side until she looked at her bother's confused expression as he scanned around for their missing friend. They both locked eyes before turning their direction right to where the petite figure was heading.

Sophie let out a sigh. There was just no stopping him.

"He never listens, does he?" Bucky shook his head as he took hold of Bonnie's hand and led the girls over to the recruitment center.

The three found Steve standing on a small podium, looking at his own reflection as he tried to match the stature of the faceless soldier in front of him. Bucky let out a soft sigh, letting go of his date's hand and hold his arm hand out to his sister signaling for her to stay put before he made his way over to his friend.

Sophie crossed her arms over against her chest as her brother made his way over to their friend. She knew what Steve was thinking, yet despite his promise to let it all go, Sophie knew that deep down, Steve's dream of becoming a soldier was still visibly planted in his heart.

Steve looked at his face reflected in front of him, his head barely visible above the soldier's uniform. It was disheartening. Were his dreams really that far from his reach? Was he really going to need some sort of miracle to get ahead and find himself on the battlefield?

Steve stared at himself for a moment before feeling a light push on his shoulder. He turned around.

"Come on. You're kind of missing the point of a double date. We're taking the girls dancing." Bucky stood a few feet behind Steve. Steve placed himself off of the pedestal before approaching his friend. He saw Sophie waiting by the entrance with Bonnie. The two girls were idly chatting amongst themselves.

"You go ahead. I'll catch up with you."

Bucky looked over at were Steve once stood a few seconds ago, in thought.

"You're really going to do this again?" Bucky asked, finally looking over at Steve. "You promised Sophie you'd quit it after the forth try."

Steve shrugged. "Well it's a fair. I'm gonna try my luck." Yes, he'd betray Sophie, but he knew that she would eventually come around. This wasn't something he'd be able to brush off quickly. While there still was a chance of opportunity out there, Steve was determined to take the plunge.

"As who, Steve from Ohio?" Bucky now sounded a little annoyed. "They'll catch you. Or worse, they'll actually take you."

"Look, I know you don't think I can't do this." Steve began.

"This isn't a back alley, Steve. It's war." Bucky's tone grew more irritated.

Sophie could hear the boys talking to one another, arguing, to be more exact. She tried to focus on their conversation. Though, She didn't have to hear for long to figure out with was going on. It was the same conversation as always.

"I know it's a war." Steve replied back.

"Why are you so keen to fight? There are so many important jobs." Bucky was really trying hard now to force his friend to back down from doing the same stupid thing over again.

"What do you want me to do? Collect scrap metal in my little red wagon?" Steve was now getting a little pissed himself. He really didn't want to believe that his friends didn't have any faith in him.

"Yes? Why not?"

"I'm not going to sit in a factory, Bucky. Bucky, come on. There are men laying down their lives. I go no right to do any less than them. That's what you don't understand. This isn't about me."

"Right. 'Cause you got nothing to prove." Bucky finally mumbled.

Steve looked at Bucky before glancing over at Sophie, who was looking directly at him. Was there really something that Steve was trying to prove? Was he really only doing this to impress his friends? To prove to them that he could really do this? Or was it his morality of what being a citizen of his country meant to him. To serve and protect not just the country itself, but those living in it.

"Hey, Sarge! Are we going dancing?" Bonnie called out over to Bucky, growing just a bit impatient. With that Sophie looked over at the cute girl beside her and excused herself before finally making her way over to Bucky and Steve.

As Sophie made her way towards them, Bucky turned at his heels, lifting his arms slightly. 'Yes we are." He stated with enthusiasm. He noticed his sister standing in between the two, noticing her bother's expression with a look of defeat on his face. He couldn't talk their stubborn friend out of it. It was no use; they both knew it. Bucky took another look at Steve, letting out sigh that made his shoulders fall in defeat.

Bucky began to take several steps back, not losing sight of Steve, shaking his head. "Don't do anything stupid until I get back."

"How can I?" Steve responded as Bucky began to turn his body, making him pause.

"You're taking all the stupid with you." Steve sassed, making Sophie let out a small giggle.

With that, Bucky made his way back over to the small male. "You're a punk." Bucky extended his arms and wrapped them around Steve, with Steve doing the same, giving Bucky a pat on the back.

"Jerk." Steve teased. "Be careful."

Once the two let each other go, Bucky looked over at his sister. "Don't stay out too late." He told her before giving her a warm hug.

"Don't tell me what to do." Sophie mumbled, hugging her brother back. "I'll see you at home. "

Bucky nodded, letting go of Sophie and making his way back over to his date, who stood where she was, giving him a gleaming smile as he made his way towards her.

"Don't win the war till I get there!" Steve exclaimed, making his friend turn to him, yet again, and saluted Steve before finally walking over to Bonnie, taking her head.

"Let's go, girlie. They're playing our song."

Steve and Sophie both looked over at the direction Bucky headed, standing in silence for a moment.

"Sophie, I'm sorry I-" Steve began before Sophie cut him off, raising her hand to him.

"It's okay." She responded. "I know how much you really want to go, and no matter how hard I try, I won't be able to stop you." Sophie rubbed her temples with her fingers. It was like arguing with a child, a grown up child. But, Sophie couldn't be mad at Steve, and his intensions were good.

"Alright." Sophie took hold of his slender hand; pulling him closer to her and making his cheeks flush a faint pink. "Let's go test out that luck of yours."

Steve nodded his head and followed Sophie as they continued to hold each other's hand. As they walked, Sophie glanced up, making eye contact with an older gentleman with glasses. She smiled kindly to him and he returned her smile. Neither of the two realized that the man had been watching over them for several minutes.

The man waited until Steve and Sophie made a turn to the right before slowly following behind them.

* * *

Sophie was seated in one of the cool chairs in the waiting room. Steve had already placed in his enlistment form and was inside one of the curtain-enclosed rooms to be evaluated. She tried to wait for him as patiently as she could. It was obvious that she was nervous. Many things began to run wild in her mind.

What if they did accept him? That meant he'd be going off to the war, off somewhere dangerous and out of her reach. But, he'd finally be able to live his dream.

On the other hand, what if he was denied once more? Would this be the final straw for him? Would he settle for some job to keep him busy while she was off healing the wounded?

Or what if he was caught lying on his form? They were bound to find out sooner or later. Would they make him serve time for it? Let him off with a warning, or fine him?

Sighing, Sophie rested her head against the cool wall behind her. Several minutes had passed since Steve was called up for evaluation, making Sophie wonder if he really was accepted.

Just as her eyes were about to close from the boredom, she could hear Steve's voice as well as an older gentleman's. Sophie looked up, her eyes scanning over to the petite male.

She wasn't able to make out what the two were discussing about, but as Steve turned towards her, Sophie's hands clenched into two tight fists. Sucking a deep breath, the girl waited for the news.

"I got accepted!" Steve beamed, showing her his approved enlistment form.

Sophie exhaled quickly, her eyes widening as she sprung to her feet. Immediately, her arms circled around Steve, giving him a tight hug.

"Really?! This is great!" She could feel Steve's arms forming themselves around her waist.

"I know. I feel so nervous all of the sudden, though." He mumbled.

The two pulled themselves away from their embrace and looked at each other.

"I would be surprised if you weren't." Sophie agreed. "But, you finally got what you wanted. And I'm pretty sure that everything is going to go well. "

Taking Steve's hand, Sophie began to lead him from the waiting room and out of the building.

"We should celebrate. I'll take you out for lunch tomorrow and we can go take a quick visit to the circus. They just came to town and I would like to go say hello to everyone." Sophie beamed brightly as memories of her circus family began to flourish in her mind.

Sophie and Bucky's grandfather was a ringleader of the _Mystic Circus_ many years ago before passing away. Sophie grew up within the circus life and would visit her circus family every year they stopped by.

"Sure, sounds great. I haven't been to the circus in a while." Steve agreed with the plan, a smile spreading across his face as he felt Sophie's excitement radiating from her body.

The two only had a few weeks left together, so they had to enjoy each other's company as much as possible. Plus, Steve slowly started to realize that if he never admitted his feelings towards Sophie, he might never get the chance. It was something that had to be done, no matter what cost it brought to their relationship as friends.


	6. Chapter 6

Steve was nestled on one the seats of the amphitheater, looking over at the crew below setting up the stage. It's been a while since he's seen the circus. The last time he attended was a few years before the war started. He, Bucky, and Sophie got free tickets, courtesy of the ringmaster, a close friend of the Barnes' family and the successor of Bucky and Sophie's grandfather who was the ringleader before him.

There was a lot of commotion going on on stage. Performers and crew members scurried around to get everything in its place before opening night that was to be held in two days.

The performers were already in their overly flashy costumes, trying to get into routine and practicing for the big night.

Steve scanned around, trying to spot Sophie who ran off somewhere.

"So, what do you think?" Steve finally heard the familiar voice behind him, making him turn around.

Sophie stood a few steps behind him, wearing a white costume.  _Her_  white costume. It was the same one she wore the last time she performed, before her grandfather passed away.

It was a pure white corset with glitter peppered all over it with red studded diamonds outlining the bust of the corset. She wore a white, feathered tut and white tights along with red ballet shoes. She had her hair up and a cute, messy bun.

"It still fits…well, sort of." Sophie pulled at the material that pushed up her chest, feeling just slightly uncomfortable. "I may need to get it fitted again."

Steve's cheeked heated, trying his best to not stare at her chest that threated to escape from the corset.

"It's probably from all of those plums you've eaten." Steve teased, attempting to mask his embarrassment.

"It's not my fault Bucky was always bringing them home!" Sophie pouted, crossing her arms over her chest.

Steve chuckled before looking back at her. "Do you miss it? Performing?"

Sophie's arms dropped back to her sides, looking down at her costume. "Yeah. I do miss it at times" She mumbled, smoothing out a few wrinkles from the corset. She glanced over at the trapezes that were already up, longing to go for a quick swing. To do flips and twists in mid-air while swinging from bar to bar.

When her grandfather was still around, Sophie would always perform when they came to town. Even though she was only a trapeze performer, the audience would always chant her stage name,  _Snow White_.

 

* * *

 

 

The light of the rising morning sun peaked through the curtains of the living room. Steve was sitting on the sofa, his old record player played music from his happier days.

Last night was truly a hard one to get through. Much tougher than after he found out he was frozen in ice for nearly seventy years. Him taking a long walk the night before did help him clear his thoughts, but only barely.

The memories that floated in his head last night made him tear up so many times; catching himself and trying to hold them back. He knew he had to stay strong, to stay focused and plan out what he was going to do. The next coming hours were going to be tough, and he needed to be prepared for every possible outcome.

There were just so many questions that he was dying to know the answers to and, he was just itching to go see her.

Steve anxiously glanced at the clock, holding his breath every time her turned his head to the direction of the wall. SHIELD headquarters would soon open its doors.

 _If I were to make it in time, I may just save myself the trouble of running into Fury._ He thought, watching the seconds, then minutes tick by.

Steve glanced over at the coffee table in front of him, picking up an item that glistened against his darkened thoughts. He picked up the item and gently placed it into his front pocket, silently cursing himself for not having a box to put it in.

An hour had finally passed when Steve finally got up, grabbed his keys, and bolted out of the door. His body was on autopilot; his mind had left the room. He expressed no emotion as he made his way outside and hoisted himself onto his motorcycle.

 

* * *

 

 

Steve finally let out exasperated breath as he parked his motorcycle in the garage of the building. Nervously, with his heartbeat quickening, he glanced around. There was no sign of Fury's SUV anywhere, yet. Before he waited any longer, Steve hopped out of the bike and rushed himself inside.

Usually, getting into the restricted parts of the building was a cause of a headache for Steve, but he was grateful that Natasha, with her quick wits, smuggled an all access key-card and stuffed into into the file that she dropped to him the evening before.

Trying not to look rushed or suspicious, Steve masked a smile on his face, giving those he passed a quick nod and a 'good morning', but avoiding direct eye contact with them, not wanting to draw any unwanted attention.

Steve continued to make his way down the hallway before reaching the elevators. He took a quick glance at those already waiting for the next available elevator to arrive, and decided to take the stairs, not wanting them to know where he was headed.

Taking several flights of stairs down to the lower levels of Headquarters Steve made his way to one of the most restricted floors of the headquarters. There, they kept the most dangerous of criminals. Steve made himself into the narrow hallway, walking towards two steel doors, two hefty guards stood by the doors, weapons in hand and ready.

Taking out the access key-card from his back pocket, Steve gave the two men a slight nod and pressed it against the card scanner beside the left side of the steel walls. The scanner read his card. A green line illuminated against the the key, scanning it. Once the key was read, the heavy doors unlocked and opened, letting Steve inside.

Steve hurriedly made himself inside, the door closing behind him. The hallway was empty, besides the surveillance cameras that followed Steve's every step. More guards were patrolling the hall, eying Steve with intimidating gazes. Trying to keep his cool, Steve's eyes began to scan around, reading the numbers on each door that he passed.

"Thirteen I believe it was." Steve mumbled, passing a few more doors before finally getting to room number 13. His heartbeat began to quicken as he planted himself in front of the door. He wasn't sure if he was ready to do this. He wanted to, his heart yearned for it. But, his emotions and thoughts were just running wild. Was he really ready to see whoever was on the other side of that door?

Taking a deep breath, Steve pressed his key-card over the scanner that was placed beside the door. The door unlocked itself, and Steve gripped onto the handle with a shaky hand.

Slowly, Steve nudged the door open, little by little, peeking inside. The room looked a bit like a prison cell. A sink and toilet were both present on the further end of the room, opposite from the bed.

The only source of light that the room had was a dim ceiling light that flickered every few seconds. Near the bed, a stand rested beside it, holding a single glass of water and a half eaten apple on a plate.

Steve's gaze made its way over to the figure that laid on the bed. One of their wrists were tied with a metal cuff. The other rested comfortably by the figure's side.

The person was in a deep slumber, not hearing Steve close the door behind him. With quiet footsteps, Steve made his way over to the bed, stopping right in front of them.

Upon seeing her face peeking out from the covers, Steve's lips parted slightly, letting out a shaky breath.

Looking at her up close, Steve noticed that she had barely aged a day. Her facial features looked just the same when he last saw her, when he last spoke to her before going off to his final mission. When he held her tightly in his arms and gave her a longing kiss that was their last.

Biting his lip, Steve's arm stretched out towards her, his fingers shaking slightly as he tried to touch her face. But, he didn't touch her. His fingers just lingered over her check, feeling its warmth radiating to his fingertips. He wanted to touch her. But, not like this. Not while she was asleep, and most definitely while she wasn't herself.

Swallowing hard, Steve pulled his hand back and stuffing it into his front pocket, feeling something inside. Slowly, Steve pulled out what he had stuffed inside just earlier. Sophie's necklace.

Her necklace was found right at the same spot where she was supposedly killed, the only thing detectives could use as evidence. When they couldn't find anything, like fingerprints on the necklace, that weren't Sophie's, the detectives handed over the necklace to Howard, who then later gave it off to Peggy to keep safe.

Steve's thumb lightly traced the 'S' that was engraved over the heart shaped pendant. After taking a long look at the gold necklace in his hand, Steve gently placed it onto the nightstand.

Once he turned his attention back over to the bed, bright green eyes stared up at him.

 


	7. Chapter 7

Steve felt a lump getting caught in his throat, seeing those emerald eyes that he had fallen in love with. But, as the woman's eyes narrowed, the green in her eyes darkened as she gave him a deathly glare.

"Who are you?" She asked.

Steve froze completely, hearing the sound of her voice. It was…a bit different than before; the tone of her voice. What once was warm and sweet, was now cold and seductive. Even so, Steve was captivated by it.

The woman stared up at him, waiting for an answer. "Who sent you here?" She then asked.

Steve shook his head. "No one sent me here."

"Then why have you come?" The woman's body relaxed on the bed, the collar of her simple white t-shirt slipped down her shoulder, revealing the bandage that was wrapped around from her shoulder to her chest.

Steve had then just realized that she was no longer in the hospital wing. Obviously, the soldier wasn't paying much attention to his surroundings as he thought he was. There wasn't even medical machinery in the room. Was she healed from the bullet wounds, or did they just take her to the hospital wing during the day? Steve didn't know. He just followed Natasha's directions on where she was being held.

"I just wanted to see how you were recovering." He said, which was true. "And, well, you could say that I'm a friend" He responded to her original question, receiving narrowed eyes from the brunette. "Well, I was." He tried to clarify.

"I don't have any friends. I don't ever recall having any." The woman stated.

"You just don't remember."

Sher shook her head. "I don't have time for petty friendships."

Steve continued to gaze at her." What's your name?" He then asked, cocking his head to the side.

"Shouldn't you know that?" the woman glared." Since you're a "friend" and all?"

"I know your name. I was just wondering if you knew."

Her glared then turned into a puzzled expression, the skin between her eyebrows wrinkled together, the woman now in deep concentration.

"My name…" Her eyes darted around the room, searching within her mind for the answer, only to meet with a brick wall.

"I-I don't know." She shook her head." I don't have one. The only name they gave me was Black Ice."

"Who is 'they'?" Steve asked, crossing his arms over his broad chest.

This question had also caused her to hit another brick wall. Who were they? The men who always surrounded her, strapping her into a black chair with machinery around her and giving her orders before and after buckling her down and beginning the torturous routine of wiping away the tiny bit of memory that the woman possessed.

She couldn't help but shudder at the gruesome, vivid memory. The pain. The pain was too strong, so inhuman and traumatizing, no one could ever comprehend how much she silently begged for death every single time.

Only one other person that she knew of went to the same amount of torture that she did. His face was a blur in her mind, but everything else was very familiar to her. The most concreate feature she recalled was his metal arm and a red star painted on its shoulder. She remembered him being strong, very strong- almost stronger than she was. But, she was still faster.

She then began to wonder if they send him to find her. Did he know that she was no longer at the base? Or would they just send him out to finish what she failed to do, leaving her behind and captured. They weren't necessarily close, but they both had this-this indescribable bond that brought them together. They were killing machines with no soul, yet they still looked out for each other at times. It was both strange, yet somewhat comforting.

The two of them would sometimes go on missions together. She remembered that much. They sent them out on missions that were tedious for just one to complete on their own. Sure, they could've done said missions on their own, but together they were much more lethal and would complete the missions in less than half the time.

She remembered training with him. At first, she would always lose to him, but she learned quickly, creating her own fighting styles and skills to help counterattack his metal arm, since that was always a hefty obstacle. In some ways, Black Ice had become more superior than her partner, the Winter Soldier.

"I don't know.” She finally responded, coming back to the now. “They never told me who they were, and even if they did, I don't remember."

"Then why did you comply to their demands?"

The woman shrugged. "It's how they programmed me. To obey their every demand without question. There is really no other reason for me to be alive than to comply to the missions. If they didn't need me anymore then they would just have me disposed of -killed."

Steve finally gave off a slight nod of understanding, yet he felt so hallow inside. How could something like this happened to her? How did he let it happen? He risked his life to save her, to save his country and end the war, yet he lost the two most important people in his life.

"Sorry for not giving you the information that you needed." The woman said with a softening tone in her voice. She looked down at her hands that were rested over her crossed legs. "I really don't know anything anymore. I don't even remember what the mission even was." She shook her head.

"I didn't really come here for information, not yet at least." Steve said.

"Then-"

"I'm here because I want you to know that this wasn't always your life. You had dreams, a loving family, a bright future."

She tilted her head to the side. "And how would you know all that?"

"Because I was there." Steve replied, backing his way over to the wall, near the door, wishing that there was a chair he could sit on. He felt awkward just standing in front of her. He leaned against the wall with his arms still over his chest.

"Why would you be in my past?" She questioned.

"Because like I said before, I was a friend." He could tell she didn't believe him, and he didn't blame her.

Whoever she was working for destroyed every bit of memory that she had. She remembered nothing at all about her past.

"If you were in my past then why did I end up this way? Who let me become who I am now?" The woman straightened her posture, her eyes darkening once more as she slightly tugged on wrist that was bound to the bed. In all honesty, she could've gotten herself free from her bound, but then it would set off an alarm; she wasn't in the mood to fight off the guards and agents that were to burst into the room.

Steve looked down at the white tile-floor, biting his lip. "Because, I was no longer around when these things began to happen to you."

"Then where were you?"

"I was… I disappeared for a while. When I came back, you were no longer around. They told me that someone had possibly abducted you. No one knew who. They searched for you for months until they finally pronounced you dead. Your abductor did a really good job at making sure there were no leads. There were signs of struggle, though. You were trying to resist. But, there wasn't enough evidence to show what really happened."

The woman's eyes darted around the room, eventually landing over at the gold necklace on the nightstand. "What's that?" she asked, pointing to it.

"It used to belong to you. That was something that the detectives found at the scene." Steve left his post by the wall, making his way over to the nightstand. With gentle hands, he picked up the necklace and held it out towards her.

Her green eyes studied the necklace. The heart shaped pendant was a locket, with decorative swirls surrounding a letter "S" that was engraved in the center. The gold glistened brightly despite the dull lightening in the room. Her free hand slowly reached out towards it, and Steve gently laid it over her open palm.

"Your brother gave it to you when you turned sixteen." He stated.

"I had a brother?" She continued to look at the necklace, fingers gently tracing over the markings over the locket.

"Yes. He was a very caring person, and always so proud of you and all that you've accomplished."

Nodding her head, she slowly opened the locket, glancing up at the man in front of her, as if to ask for permission to peer inside.

"It's yours. Go ahead." Steve urged her.

With delicate movements, she opened the locket all the way. Two faces stared back up at her. While the photos were both in black and white, she looked at them with wonder. One was that of a young man with dark hair, a gentle smile on his face that reached his bright eyes. The other one featured a petite looking man with a small, shy smile on his face and gleaming eyes. The woman stared a little longer at the picture of the small male. He looked familiar to her, but she couldn't quite grasp how, that is, until she looked up at the man that stood before her; putting the pieces together.

"This…he's you." She stated.

Steve nodded his head.

"How-"

"It'll take while to explain. "Steve stated. "I'd like to save that for another day."

The woman didn't protest, just nodded her head slightly as she closed the locket. She placed the necklace beside her on the bed.

"I still don't understand. You claim to be my friend; you're trying to get memories back into my head. I don't understand why. I've killed so many people. I killed your agents, I tried killing your director, your partner, you. I'm not whoever you're trying to claim I once was."

"Because, you deserve to know." Steve said, his voice softening. "If I can help you remember who you were, then maybe there may be hope in proving you're innocent and getting you out of here."

"They're planning on taking me to trial." She said. "I've overheard the dark skinned man talking about it with someone. Don't know who, but I just barely heard the conversation."

"What would they do to you if they find you guilty?" Steve asked, biting his lip.

"Either have me executed or have me spend the rest of my life in solitary confinement." She sighed. "Honestly, I'd rather have them execute me if it comes down to it."

Steve quickly shook his head. "That won't happen. I won't let it."

"I doubt that even you, Captain America, have that kind of power." She rose an eyebrow at him. "They'll try to pull up as much evidence as they can to back up their claims. There is only so much that I could offer to save my life and prove my innocence. I don't even know my own name. How could they possibly believe someone who has no idea who they even are or who they were working for?"

"Because you _don't_ know any of that." Steve replied. "Maybe, when they realize just how out of place you really are, how you were just used as a pawn to either someone or an organization you are not even aware of-"

"That won't work. They will still want me to pay for all of the crimes I've committed, whether I was brainwashed or not."

Steve sighed, running a hand through his hear. She had a point, he knew that. She would very much likely be going up against the Council; they would show absolutely no mercy towards her.

"Y-you said I had a brother." The woman decided to change the subject.

"Yes! His name was Bucky." Steve said, a slight gleam touching his eye as his friend's name rolled out of his tongue. The woman rose an eyebrow, making him let out a soft chuckle.

"That's such a peculiar name- sounds more fitting for a dog." With that, Steve let out a laugh, making the corners of the woman's lips twitch upward just slightly.

"It's a nickname." Steve stated, "Your brother's name was James Buchanan Barnes. He didn't really like being called James so much back then so he came up with a nickname for himself."

"How do you get Bucky from James though?"

"No, no." Steve laughed again. "It came from his middle name, Buchanan."

"Oh, that makes more sense, I guess."

"Yes. It stuck to him very quickly, especially with the girls. Hardly anyone called him James, except for your parents, and sometimes yourself. Only when you were pissed off at him or teasing him in some way."

"Did I do that quite frequently?" the woman stretched out her legs, a tracker on her ankle becoming slightly visible through her sweatpants. Steve didn't fail to notice it, seeing a red light blinking brightly at him.

"When we were younger, yes "Steve's eyes wandered back over to the woman's face. "Although, you were actually much more pissed off with me than with him," He chuckled fondly at the memory.

"Why would I be?"

I um… had a thing for picking up fights and getting myself beat up in the process. Bucky was always there to save my sorry ass, but sometimes it was too much even for him." His lips twitched into a slight smirk. "And that's when you would come in."

The woman tilted her head to the side, curious.

"You'd end up saving both of our asses. None of the guys would see you coming. A petite girl, all dolled up, coming to beat your ass. Yeah, not something someone would expect."

"So I've always known how to fight?" She ran her fingers through her bed-hair.

"Yes, although, it was not on the same level as you can now. But enough to defend yourself and fight off a decent group of men, both amateur and professionally trained fighters."

Steve finally moved from his position in front of her and walked over to the bed, eyeing her silently as if to ask for permission to sit beside her.

She just shrugged and nodded her head slightly, letting the man ease himself on the bed, keeping a bit of distance between the two.

"The first time you came to our rescue, Bucky and I were in awe. Neither of us knew that you could fight, and so skillfully that you easily flipped those men onto their backs. It sure was something." Steve marveled, still in awe even after 70 years. "Bucky was furious with you afterwards, though. Not just because you outshined him, but because you never told him you knew how to."

"Who taught me how to fight like that?" She asked. She honestly didn't know if she could trust a single word that was coming from this man's mouth, but decided to just play along. It helped pass the time anyways.

"Apparently, your grandfather did. Now, it was actually a bit surprising because your grandfather was a ring master for the circus. You were also one of the circus performers as well. Which began to make Bucky and I wonder, if you performing was just a set up for what your grandfather really had planned for you."

"Why didn't he train Bucky too?" the woman asked, seeing how peculiar the whole ordeal was.

Steve let off a shrug of his shoulders. "You were a lot closer to him than Bucky was. When Bucky finally confronted your grandfather, he had told him that he wanted you to be prepared."

"Prepared for what?"

"The future… We didn't know what he meant by that. But we once the war began, we assumed that he was preparing you for that. At first, you were a nurse at one of the bases over in Europe. But while I was recruiting my special team known as the Howling Commandos, I recruited you as well. Your combat skills were vital to the team. You weren’t afraid of getting up close and with the enemy."

"Before…you said that I was abducted, and that I was resisting. Did that meant I was trying to fight off my abductor? Using my skills against them?"

"Yes, but unfortunately, your training was still no match for them." Steve sighed, shaking his head. "I don't know who would've wanted to take you. You were a very sweet woman, known well by the community. Your disappearance was a shock to everyone in town."

The woman just nodded her head. This was a lot of information to take in. She wasn't even sure if she believed this man.

"What's my name?" The woman asked, her voice soft.

Steve turned over to look at her, his jaw clenching. "Sophie Alexandria Barnes." Her name rolled off his tongue with such grace. It was a melody in itself, making his heart race.

"Sophie Alexandria Barnes." Sophie mumbled her name to herself a few times, trying to engrave it into her mind.

Steve gave her a soft smile. "This must be a lot for you to take in. We'll stop here for today." With that, Steve got up from the bed.

"There are some things that I need to take care of, but I'll be back to give you some more information, should you wish to know."

Sophie nodded her head. "Yeah, sure, um…" She looked over at him.

"Steven Grant Rogers. But just call me Steve."

"Steve…thank you." Sophie thanked the man as he made his way over to the door.

"Of course Sophie. I'm glad that you're back here with us. We'll try to figure out how to get you out of this mess, I promise."

"Okay." Sophie nodded her head again.

"Goodbye, Sophie." Steve said, his blue eyes clouding with sadness at the thought of leaving his love alone. But, he needed to obtain more information. He also didn't doubt that Fury already knew what Steve was up to. He had eyes everywhere.

"Goodbye, Steve." Sophie said, positioning herself back onto the bed as the man stepped out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Silence filled the room, boredom struck the woman after a few minutes. Soon, a nurse would come in to check her wounds and escort her back over to the hospital wing for another thorough checkup. But, in the meantime, Sophie decided to catch a few more moments of sleep. She laid herself back onto the bed, pulling the covers over her body, and slowly drifted back into her slumber.

* * *

 

The coldness of the snow on the ground had penetrated through Sophie's coat, making her shiver as she struggled to breathe. Snow fell from the sky and onto her face, with her gasping for breath. The form of a man hovered over her. She could not see his face; her vision was getting blurry and it didn't help that there was hardly any light.

She could feel his icy cold hand gripping tightly around her neck, choking her more. Sophie continued to cough and gasp for breath; her hands tightly around the man's iron grip, trying to pry his fingers off her, but to no avail. Hot tears streamed down her face, warming her cheeks up from the cold wind. She was dying, she could feel it. She opened her mouth, trying to speak to the person over her. She could feel the vibrations of her voice coming from her throat, but no sound was heard. Darkness was consuming her as one of her hands struggled to reach up towards the man's face, her fingertips brushing against his cheek lightly before she completely lost consciousness.

 


	8. Chapter 8

Sophie's eyes shot wide open. Her breathing was slightly labored as she frantically glanced around at her surroundings, soon realizing that she was still in her cell.

_What was that? A Dream? A Nightmare? It felt so real. I don't recall ever dreaming before. Perhaps it was a memory._ She shook her head.  _No, I can't trust what that man tells me. He could be lying. It's just all in my head. I've been out of cryo for way too long, that's why I'm starting to dream silly things._ Sophie tried convincing herself that everything Steve told her was a lie.

She slowly sat herself up on the bed, feeling something pressing against her outer thigh. Glancing down, Sophie's eyes caught the gold necklace that Steve had given to her. She hadn't bothered to remove it from the bed before laying down.

Lifting her thigh up just slightly, Sophie's fingers gingerly removed the necklace from under her. She cradled it against her free hand, trying to draw out any recognition from it.

_He said that this necklace belonged to me. It does…look kind of familiar._ A part of her secretly did wish that what Steve was telling her was true. After all, she had no recollection of memories of her life before she was turned into a weapon. She didn't even know how she got to that place in the first place.

_Oh, right, I was abducted. That's what he said._ She suddenly remembered that piece. Her thoughts going back to the dream she just had.

_It was snowing that night, the man had me pinned against the ground. His hand was so cold and hard, too cold, actually._ Of course, all she could remember from that night was from her dream. A possible memory that was trapped in her subconscious, peeking its way through the wall those scientists had built in her mind. 

_He told me… he said his name was Steve. M-my name is Sophie. Sophie Barnes. I had a brother too. Bucky. I wonder what happened to him…I wonder if he misses me. Wait…what year is this anyway?_

Just as Sophie was about to open the locket, she heard footsteps approaching towards her room. Sophie gently placed the necklace under her pillow before looking over ahead at the door as it finally opened.

A blonde-haired woman calmly entered the room, giving Sophie a quick glance before looking down at the clipboard in her hand.  _Sharon Carter. I think that's what she said her name was._

"Good morning." Sharon said as she looked up to face the woman in front of her, not really expecting her to reply back. Her eyes widened when Sophie spoke.

"G-good morning."

"Well, that's new." Sharon mumbled before slowly approaching the bed. She placed the clipboard on the stand near the bed.

"You didn't finish eating your apple. Such a waste." She mumbled, low enough for the average person to not be able to hear. Of course, Sophie wasn't the average person.

There was a soft clicking sound. Sharon had reached over behind her and removed the safety from the gun that was hidden underneath her scrubs, safely in place on its holster, but ready to fire if Sophie made any unwanted movements.

She only had the gun pointed and shot at her once before. The reason being was Sophie was feeling bored that day and wanted to see if the nurse had it in her to properly react while around an assassin. Sharon did not disappoint, giving Sophie a nice new bullet wound. The only downside to that, beside the blood that was slapped over the white sheets, was having to head on back over to hospital wing to remove the bullet before Sophie's body began to heal itself around it. Which, it that would've been the outcome, would've caused the woman quite discomfort, thus shortening her temper and patience quite a bit. She wasn't in the mood to add on to her current body count.

Sharon pulled out a key from one of her scrub pockets and untied Sophie's bound hand. "Remove your shirt, please. "

Without a second beat, Sophie did as she was told; removing the clothing material from her body. Sharon asked Sophie to turn around so she could see her back, removing the bandages. Several stitches speckled all over Sophie's back where the bullets once had been.

Sharon continued to inspect the stitches, seeing that Sophie was practically healed.

"Well, you seem to be healing rather nicely. Sharon stated, her tone flat.

Sophie just hummed in response, not making eye contact with the woman.

"I think you'll be fine without these bandages." Sharon removed the last bandage from Sophie's body before telling her to put her shirt back on. The assassin silently obeyed.

"I'll be escorting you back over to the hospital wing for another checkup. Should be the last one really. You're pretty much healed. They'll probably remove your stitches as well."

Pulling out a pair of handcuffs from another pocket, Sharon motioned for Sophie to stand up from her bed. Once Sophie did, Sharon cuffed her hands and the two of them made their way out of the cell.

 

* * *

 

Steve had already made his way up the elevator, heading to Fury's floor. Fury was the only one Steve could talk to about Sophie. He had to convince the S.H.I.E.L.D. director that Sophie was innocent and no longer a threat to S.H.I.E.L.D. Once the elevator stopped at the designated floor, the double doors slid open and Steve hurried out. With long strides, Steve made his way over to the door of Fury's office, giving a few knocks before waiting for an answer.

"Come in." A muffled voice was heard from inside the room. Steve opened the door and walked in, approaching the man that sat by his desk.

"And to what do I owe this pleasure?" Fury asked, sitting back against this leather chair, armed crossed over his chest. He knew why Steve was there. He read the files on their captured assassin. He knew that the captain had some sort of history with her in the past, and that he would eventually come to him.

"I believe you know why I'm here." Steve said, studying the director's expression and posture. Of course, Fury knew.

"If you're here to talk about a certain damsel in distress, I'm all ears."

"How long did you know?" Steve stood in front of Fury, hands clenched in loose fists.

"Just a bit longer than you, Rogers. Hill recognized the woman's appearance almost right away after reading some of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s past files about our star assassin. Did you know she was once a S.H.I.E.L.D. member?"

"I realized that the first time I read her first file. S.H.I.E.L.D. wasn't established until after the war."

Fury nodded his head. "The file does not specifically state what Miss Barnes did during her time with S.H.I.E.L.D. Only that it was for a pretty brief time due to the incident. Did you know that S.H.I.E.L.D. spent decades looking for her? They were never able to find a single lead. It was like she just vanished into thin air." Fury paused.

"Did Miss Barnes have any enemies?" Fury questioned.

Steve shook his head. "Not personally. Although, Hydra did know about her existence during the war. She was one of the Howling Camandos. But once what war was over, Hydra was eliminated, so…"

"Are you sure she wasn't a spy?" Fury then questioned, moving close to the desk, placing his forearms onto it.

Steve's eyes widened at the question, his eyes then narrowing and fists clenching tighter. "What? I've known her my whole life. She was my best's friend's sister and she was a close friend to me as well. She was my- I lo- "Steve bit his tongue, his breathing became slightly heavy and his heartbeat was racing.

"I see you have a much more intimate connection with her." Fury stood up from his chair, making his way over the wall length window.

"You want to claim her innocence. As do I." Fury turned around and looked over at Steve, grabbing his attention.

"Sophie Barnes was a war hero, Saving the lives over a hundred men during the war, as well as taking part in defeating Hydra on the front lines. That’s not an accomplished that goes unnoticed, especially for a woman."

Steve nodded his head.

"She graduated at the top of her class in a profession claimed by men. She was referred to over a dozen of the best hospitals all throughout the country and became an inspiration to young women all over the world. A person like that doesn't deserve to be locked away forever before given the opportunity for a second chance."

"But what about the Council? I'm sure they are not planning on letting her walk away that easily." Steve said, his jaw clenching.

"I've dealt with the Council many times before. This won't be an easy fight, but I'll do the best of my ability to persuade them to rethink about putting her on trial." Fury paused, glancing back to the world behind him before turning his attention back to Steve.

"As for you, your contribution in this will be sure to get as much information from her as possible. As well as restoring more of her memories. Should the time come for her to stand trial she must be ready to give it her all to defend herself. Of course, we will be looking out for a lawyer as well. But that's a discussion for another day."

Steve looked over at the director, still feeling skeptical. How could S.H.I.E.L.D.'s director put aside the fact that Sophie, whether it was really her or not, killed many people in the past?

"But she's killed so many people, including some of our agents." He said, testing Fury.

"We need to find a way to separate the individual from the weapon." Fury stated, making his way around the desk, and now stood in front of the Captain. "Sophie Barnes is innocent and Black Ice is just a weapon using Sophie as a vessel, which is why it's important for her to know who she really is and who were the ones who did this to her."

"She said that she no longer remembers what her mission even was. She can't even remember who it was that took her or who she was even working for." Steve bit his lip. Those were important questions and if Sophie wasn't going to be able to remember who those men were, it would put a burden on her chance at liberation.

"Then, while she may be able to claim innocent, Sophie's case will still be pending until she begins to crack within her subconscious. Which also means that the Council will be breathing down her neck and watching her every move until she has given the necessary information."

Steve closed his eyes and gave a simple nod.

"It's the most we can do for her at the moment, Rogers. You don't want to see her waste her life away in a cell, do you?"

"Now that I just got her back, of course not." Steve glanced at Fury before he turned and began to make his way over to the door.

"I'll keep you up to date with the Council. Just as long as you give me a report on her progress every few days. But until I give you the okay, she'll have to stay in that cell. You'll be given unlimited access to visit her for as long as you'd like without having to depend on Romanoff to smuggle access keys. And, depending on how the first few weeks go, I'll allow for you to escort her around the city. She'll have to wear a tracker of course, but at least she'll be able to venture out from those four walls."

Steve just stared at Fury, feeling a sudden rush of relief flow through his body.

"Thank you, sir." He said before finally taking his leave, walking out of Fury's office. Steve felt like he was floating on air. With knowing that Fury was on his side, Steve felt calmer and more optimistic about the situation.

Making his way back down to the garage, he spotted a woman with striking red hair leaning against his bike.

"So, what did Fury tell you?" Natasha asked as Steve approached her.

"He's on our side. He's going to try to convince the Council that Sophie is innocent without having to result in her standing trail."

"It's not going to be easy, Rogers." Natasha said with a sigh. "Sophie's mind is swirling with confusion right now. Words alone won't be enough to convince her about her past."

"Do you have any idea who she could've been working for?" Steve questioned.

Natasha shook her head. "I couldn't find any leads. She would always disappear right after completing a mission." Natasha paused then, swallowing.

Steve stared at her, reading her expression. She was hiding something from him. But, he didn't press her with any further questions.

"But hey, at least there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Plus, she could make a great addition to the team in the future. It gets tiring being the only girl kicking ass and babysitting a bunch of musclemen." Natasha smirked and moving away from the bike.

"Let me know if you need anything." She called out, making her way over to her black Corvette.

Steve got on his bike and drove out of the garage, making his way to the mall. There were no missions currently pending, and all previous mission reports have been completed and filed. He had the rest of the day to wander around and think. Think about how to better convince Sophie about her past and to bring back her memories, and time to think about those memories himself.

Making his way around the mall, he spotted his face on a banner hanging in front of the Smithsonian. He pulled his motorcycle to the front of the museum. He remembered that the museum was going to put an exhibit of him and fellow contributors during the war; telling the history of Captain America and how he helped put an end to the war.

_**The American Hero: Captain America**_ was printed in red, white, and blue across the giant banner.  _ **Exhibit opening March 13th.**_

_That's only a month away._  Steve thought, before an idea popped into his mind. With that idea planted in his mind, he began to drive away from the museum, the sound of a train could once again be heard in the back of his mind.

 

* * *

 

 

"Steve, hurry!" Sophie yelled as she pulled him along with her, trying to maneuver through the tight crowd to get to the train. It was finally that fateful day. The day Steve was to be sent off for training, and where Project: Rebirth was going to drastically change everything.

"S-Sophie, w-wait up!" Steve panted as he tried to hold onto Sophie's hand. The train heading to New Jersey was about the depart within minutes, and Steve had not yet boarded. Sophie held Steve's ticket in her hand, knowing that he would've dropped it somewhere by now. As they made it to the train, Sophie pulled Steve into a tight embrace.

"Be careful out there, okay, Stevie?" Sophie pleaded. "Don't let anyone beat you down."

Steve looked up at Sophie, seeing that the whites of her eyes were rimmed red and glossy. He felt a lump being caught in his throat. "Y-yeah, okay." He nodded. He didn't tell her about Project: Rebirth. It was classified information. Plus, he knew if he told her, she wouldn't have let him go, thinking that it would be too dangerous.

Sophie pulled away and handed him his ticket as Steve began to board onto the train.

The train began to signal off its departure as it slowly moved forward. Steve quickly made his way to an open window and poked his head out.

With a bright smile and tears threatening to prickle along the corners of her eyes, Sophie began to wave goodbye to Steve. "I'll see you soon, okay?" She yelled out through the cheering crowd and the whistling of the train.

"Okay!" Steve waved back.

"Don't do anything stupid till I get there!" Sophie smirked.

"No promises!" Steve laughed as he continued to wave goodbye. He really did hope that he would see Sophie soon. There was still a lot that he had to tell her.


End file.
